The Art Spirit

Often when I read a book, I highlight key thoughts. Sometimes I take the time to write them down elsewhere. These, from 'The Art Spirit' by Robert Henri, had been transcribed years ago into a sketchpad which I gave to my granddaughter this summer for her to create her own art.

When we were at Sunriver, some of her Christmas presents from us were art supplies which included a set of watercolors. When she began experimenting with them, her first project was to illustrate these quotations with flowers, mittens and greenery.

Her doing this brought the quotes back to my mind. They seem as important today as they did when I first wrote them down in the sketchpad.

From Robert Henri in The Art Spirit:

For an artist to be interesting to us, he must have been interesting to himself, He must have been capable of intense feeling and capable of profound contemplation.

Many things that come into the world are not looked into. The individual says, My crowd doesn't run that way. I say don't run with crowds.

We are not here to do what has already been done.

Sometime what is not done or left out is as important as what is included.

The goal is not making art. It is living a life. Those who live their life, will leave the stuff that is art. Art is a result.

When the art is alive in any person, whatever his work may be, he becomes an inventive, exploring, self expressing creature. He becomes interesting to other people...

Art tends toward balance, order, judgment of relative values, the laws of growth, the economy of living, very good things for anyone to be interested in.